Splice AU Review

'Most Ironic Title of the Week' award goes to...

Fear mongering about the pratfalls genetic tampering is nothing new to cinema – and Splice has nothing new to add to the discussion – but it certainly fills out the ranks of healthy schlock science fiction for 2010. It also pulls influences from all over the place – most transparently, Species and hints of The Fly. The premise was clearly enough to dazzle acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro, who stepped in as Executive Producer on the project.

Most recently spotted in the thick alien jungles of Predators – another schlock sci-fi flick, jam-packed with homage moments (mostly to its predecessors), Adrien Brody plays a far-too-fashionable geneticist, Clive, working alongside his edgy lover, Elsa, played by the underrated Sarah Polley. As two project leads working out of a genetic research and manipulation facility, they stumble on the perfect formula to create original organic life forms. However, this being a horror film, things go awry.

'Dren' – the product of this genetic tampering, starts life off as a bipedal critter that gives the audience plenty to giggle at. The plucky Polly begins to feel the maternal instincts kick in, and as Dren begins to develop into a young lady, Splice starts to go off the rails – in writing and context. Just about every nasty taboo is crossed off the list by the end of the film – and, sadly, so is every major horror cliché. That's the single biggest problem with Splice, which sets itself up as a cool, clinical, 'hipper-than-thou' story, but devolves into overplayed silliness.

Director Vincenzo Natali, who also helmed cult sci-fi classic 'Cube', once again displays his knack for black humour and creating believable relationships in awkward situations. The chemistry between Clive and Elsa, particularly in the first (superior) half of the story, is warm and natural; the last half of the film eventually slides into a warped parable on relationships and the implications of parenthood.

It's actually a nice point of relation for the audience to watch this young couple become so involved with recreating life in a lab that they neglect the desire to create their own natural offspring. When the couple eventually bond with Dren, the emotional heart of the film emerges – but it's sadly short-lived.

Certainly Splice's biggest draw is the effects work. Dren's rapid evolution is rendered with the same kind of clever real-world physics and interactivity that made District 9 such a delight to simply watch; the sets are rigged in such a way that, as she races around in her early animalistic form, things are sent flying and the world reacts to her presence. As she begins to grow up, Dren's facial characteristics take on the form of someone out of a Chris Cunningham music video – eyes spread eerily apart, skin flawless and deathly pale. She's an iconic creation imbued with life, thanks to the physical presence of actress Delphine Chanéac, who moves with animalistic fluidity and aggression, yet maintains a painful vulnerability that makes her strangely sympathetic.

Sarah Polley gets friendly with the local wildlife.

Director of Photography, Tetsuo Nagata, also seems to have influenced the set design and dressing – the film has a very Japanese feel to it; the premise isn't far removed from classic anime and there are constant references to Japanese culture in the background of many scenes that further underline the anime feel at times. He also lensed Micmacs – the quirky (somewhat disappointing) French film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who directed Amelie. He knows what he's doing behind the camera – though the transition from clean, sterile and modern environments eventually gives way to organic –and even gothic – settings later. The stylistic change also affects the whole tone of the film, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

In fact, by the final act, all of the scientific good-will that Splice tries hard to generate at the start of the picture falls by the wayside. We're left instead with an overly preachy fantasy parable conclusion that tries hard to seem clever and edgy but, since it revolves around a cliché, simply isn't. It's a shame – there's a lot of enjoyment to be extracted from Splice, but it remains a Frankenstein's monster of piecemeal storytelling.